Man pleads not guilty to child sex-trafficking charge

He allegedly arranged a ‘date’ for a juvenile girl at Salmon Creek hotel

A 20-year-old transient man pleaded not guilty Thursday to promoting the commercial sex abuse of a juvenile girl at a Salmon Creek hotel last month.

Trial for Shannon S. Daniels was set for March 26.

Bail remained at $100,000 for Daniels, charged with commercial sexual abuse of a minor, or pimping.

Prosecutors allege Daniels rented a room at the La Quinta Inn in the 1500 block of Northeast 134th Street for a juvenile girl. An undercover officer with the Innocence Lost Task Force arranged a “date” with the girl after finding her online ad.

Officers arrived at the hotel Jan. 18 and went to the girl’s hotel room, identifying themselves as police officers. Daniels was reportedly waiting in the lobby, according to court documents.

After talking with the girl, officers interviewed Daniels, who had $2,272 in cash rolled up in his pants pocket, according to court documents.

The girl told officers that Daniels holds her money for safekeeping.

She said the two previously were at the La Quinta Inn on Airport Way in Portland, but got kicked out for smoking marijuana, according to court documents. They came to the La Quinta in Salmon Creek about four days prior to the incident, she said.

The girl told officers she had been with Daniels about a month. In his interview, Daniels told police he considered the juvenile his girlfriend. When asked about her age, he said, “I hope she is 18,” according to court documents.

Daniels gave no statements about the pimping allegations, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The girl’s age was not listed in court documents.

While a promoting child sex trafficking charge is rare in Clark County, there’s been a recent surge among police to crack down on the problem, which they say is apparent in Clark County and not just Portland.